25 November 2014
Ex-England Rugby star and TV personality, Matt Dawson, kick-starts the blog with his entry, in which he praises the work of UK fishermen.
Ex-England rugby star Matt Dawson
has launched the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation’s (NFFO) new blog with an article praising the work of UK
fishermen and encouraging the British public to be more adventurous with the
species of fish they try.
‘Fishing Matters’ is the NFFO’s
latest initiative highlighting the great work happening in all sections of the
industry. It’s also a way of providing a platform for small scale fishermen to
have their voices heard and share best practice with one another, as well as
acquainting them with processors, supermarkets and consumers, strengthening
relationships and creating links within the industry.
Matt is a self-proclaimed fish
enthusiast and created the TV programme ‘Matt and Mitch’s Big Fish Recipes’ in
which he accompanied Michelin Star chef Mitch Tonks on a foodie’s adventure of
the UK. The pair travelled the UK coast, making pit-stops in fishing bays up
and down the country and cooking a host of fish recipes. In his blog entry, the
Question of Sport panellist commends UK fishermen for their hard work and says
the public has ‘no idea of the commitment, the sacrifice and downright graft’
it takes to provide a constant, diverse food source.
Barrie Deas, Chief Executive of the
NFFO, said: “As an open, outward-facing organisation, the NFFO is keen to
provide a platform for dialogue to those with the interests of the fishing
industry at heart. We have already managed to gather a great variety of blogs
from industry experts throughout the catching and consumer sectors, as well as
processors and supermarkets. The blog is a true representation of the effects
of the work of fishermen.”
‘Fishing
Matters’, which is being hosted on the NFFO website, also includes a
contribution from Matt’s fish food partner Mitch, who provides advice to
fishermen on making their catch as desirable to chefs as possible to command
higher prices at auction. The NFFO has already received further contributions
from a Press Association journalist, the UK’s seafood authority Seafish, and
fishermen themselves.
In 2013, 12,150 British fishermen
landed 624,00 tonnes of sea fish in the UK, amounting to a value of £718m – all
from a range of small, medium and large fishing vessels.
If you would like to contribute to the blog please contact nffo@nffo.org.uk